Academic Clinical Fellowship in Neurology: 2024 candidate - Dr Abdusshakur Muhammad Auwal

Project title: National Institute of Health and Research (NIHR) and Encephalitis International Academic Clinical Fellowship

Department and institution: University of Liverpool and Walton Neuroscience NHS Foundation Trust

Awarded in 2024

I am an NIHR & Encephalitis International Academic Clinical Fellow working to understand better, the pathophysiology of NeuroCovid using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). It also aims to identify diagnostic biomarkers that can be used to develop therapeutic interventions. This research will be under the supervision of Professor Benedict Michael, Professor Ed Bullmore, and Professor Simon Keller. I am also rigorously involved in patient and public involvement and engagement in healthcare research by collaborating with others to enhance the experience of people with neurological problems as well as creating factsheets on encephalitis for people to enhance their understanding.

I have worked as a collaborator in the COVID-19 RECOVERY Trials (2020-2021) that led to the approval of Dexamethasone and Tocilizumab for use in eligible Covid 19 patients. I was also the first author of a published abstract (2023) that looked at the characteristics of people with Multiple Sclerosis involving only the spinal cord. My MSc dissertation demonstrated the disruption of resting state functional connectivity in cognitively healthy young adult carriers of Alzheimer’s genes impairing amyloid beta clearance when compared to controls.